Martin Dreyer Academy Blog

JOHN NTULI – CROSSING THE FINISH LINE FIRST

Although I would never stray from my hardcore Dusi warriors, I have wanted to geographically branch out with my ‘Change a Life’ Academy’s Mission Statement - to assist those that have talent, yet come from a disadvantaged background and would never otherwise have the means to see how good they could be.

JOHN NTULI – KZN DUATHLON CHAMPION

So…. New ‘Change a Life’ athlete, John Ntuli, joined my Change a Life Academy September last year. John has climbed to the top of the ‘exponential curve of performance’. He comes from the North Coast, and although he does not paddle, he runs like the wind and since CAL gave him a new light-weight Schwinn hard tail a couple of months ago, his cycling has jumped 30 levels. So much so that he came 5th overall in the Husquvarna Mtb Race, traversing through the Gwahumbe Nature Reserve, a month ago. But more impressively he just obtained the crown of KZN Duathlon Champion, when he won Gold in the 10km run, 40km cycle and 5km run elite race a few weeks ago. With miserable weather, the slippery roads made for hazardous bike conditions, especially during cornering.

JOHN PLAYING IT SAFE ON THE 180 DEGREE HALFWAY TURN….

He is the ultimate CAL ambassador, well mannered, quietly spoken, yet a fierce competitor. I am proud to have someone like John now part of the CAL family.

For months a good friend of mine from the Spionkop dam area, has been on my case that there is this unemployed youngster on his farm that runs everywhere, but at super sonic speed. Cut a long story short, Abrahim caught a lift down to Maritzburg last Friday, I gave him a new pair of Hi-Tec Infinity running shoes, accommodated him in the local Backpackers, and organised a lift for him to compete in the Kzn X-country League race the following day. After wishing him goodluck, he threw his arms around me – thanking me endlessly…. The runners here are of a super high standard, with the winners capable of running a sub 30min 10km. He impressed all by finishing in a very credible 6th position overall in the tough offroad 12km Elite race. I accomodated him again that night and the following day set him off with Usn Cyto Power under-arm, in a taxi back to Ladismith. Abrahim, we will meet again soon….

RICHARD ENCOURAGING THE WINNING GIRLS FROM BANQOBILE SCHOOL

My ‘Change a Life’ X-country League Schools races are ticking along beautifully. Once a week we hold a X-country run at a School and a ‘Change a life’ athlete organises that run and documents the times of the first 50 athletes. The children get their time called out as they cross the finish line and then they sit down in that order they finished and write their time in the sand to remember it.

CHILDREN LINE UP IN THE ORDER THEY FINISHED….

WRITING HIS TIME IN THE SAND, SO HE DOES NOT FORGET IT – WAITING FOR IT TO BE RECORDED

Then in June we will have a Inter Schools X-Country competition and the 10 runners + sports teacher & principal of the wiining School will go to the Spur to eat as much as they can and watch a movie. Second place gets to go to the Spur but no Movie. Third place will get food parcels. With many of the Schools being a fair distance from each other, I asked Kwanda Mhlophe to help coordinate getting the weekly time sheets from the athletes and he has impressed me tremendously – neat and timely. Richard Cele too has been impressive with his handling of his designated Schools.

EXPRESSO TV SHOW on SABC – down in the Valley of 1000Hills

We had some fun when Lauren from USN (production manager) and Presenter from Expresso spent a full day down at Nagle to document the lives of my CAL athletes, but more specific to educate the viewer on their ‘use of the USN products in training and
racing’. Eric was a complete natural in front of the TV camera, talking to the presenter as if he was his best pal. Telling how it was in the beginning, when he used to mix sugar with water for racing. Now he talks of CytoPower for training, RecoverMax ‘Milkshake’ for straight after. He gives special mention of using ‘Vooma’ on his runs and Epic Pro for the most important of races, but not forgetting to take CrampBlock, especially on those days when it is very hot – “Shew, he has come a long way….” I thought to myself.

At day-end, Nico said how hard can this paddling thing actually be. My Zulus were quick to encourage him to try it and then followed through with “I bet you can’t paddle past those buoys (40m away fro shore) without falling in” Game on – cut a long story short – Nico stayed upright for a max of 4m.

Suddenly, his respect for my Zulus went skywards, especially as he watched Lucas show off, standing upright in his canoe, turning 360 degrees, before sitting down again to continue paddling. This TV footage was edited into five 7 min slots and aired daily on Expresso on SABC 3, Monday through to Friday at 6.30 am.

MMELI, MART & PAULOS – AWARDED KZN PROVINCIAL COLOURS

The bulk of the paddlers in my CAL have been training hard for the last 8 weeks for the SA Schools Sprint Champs, which have just come and gone – Many of them made it through the numerous heats to get into the finals. My star junior, Paulos
Shozi, medalled in the very competitive under 18 age group, getting silver in the 1000m and bronze in the 200m races. Then himself and Mmeli Cele raced K2 (double canoe) and bronzed in the 1000m and 500m races. As a result they have both been awarded their KZN Provincial Colours  and ironically I was asked to hand out the awards at the Awards Dinner- so that was quite special giving it to them.

Less than 2 months away, celebrating its 50^th anniversary, the legendary Windhoek Berg Canoe Marathon looks set to be a real cracker this year. Referred to as the Comrades of Canoeing, to get to the finish line, Canoeists need to paddle 60km a day for 4 days. With snow sometimes on the nearby mountains, the Weather Gods can make it a real battle of survival, pitting ice-cold winds and rain relentlessly upon the paddlers. Come race day, there too is a chance of sunny skies…. – such is the Challenge of the Berg Canoe Marathon.

Title Race sponsors – Windhoek lager, have given the ‘Change a Life’ Academy a special invitation to come experience this race. We are discussing this opportunity at length. It seems it’s not the endurance factor, but more the possibility of extreme weather that concerns my Zulus.

My saying of “there is no such thing as bad weather, just soft people” is sure to get them fired up for the challenge.

In the past, with Dusi over, this was a period of hibernation for many of the top Dusi paddlers, till October sprung again. But for my multi talented valley boys, the racing season never ends. Running, paddling & now cycling is the order of the Day.

GARMIN WARTRAIL 2011

- 65km WILDERNESS MNT RUN, 135km MTB, 60km RIVER PADDLE -

WINNING ‘CHANGE A LIFE’ TEAM - Paul Moketi, Lucas Mthalane, John Ntuli.

Change a life athletes Lucas Mthalane & John Ntuli, caught a lift with Aidan and Kirsty to the small town of Lady Grey, nestled in the mountains of the Eastern Cape, where they met their new ‘Change a Life’ team-mate Paul Moketi (from Bloemfontein) – They were here to take part in the annual Garmin WarTrail – a legendary off-road extreme Triathlon, comprising of a 65km Mountain Wilderness run, 135km Mtb leg and a 65km paddle on a flooding Orange River.

At 03h45 the Garmin WarTrail Warriors lined up in front of the Mountain View Country Inn for roll call and at 04h00 sharp, set off to tackle the 65km Mountain Run with an average elevation of 2250m. At 04h03 the first river had to be crossed and from there, runners were in for a wet and wonderful Mountain experience. The crystal clear skies and streams made for a perfect day. Cape Vultures circling above, Berg adders lying in hiding next to the trails; fat sheep and cattle gorging themselves on the feast that the rains had brought. Paul took on the run for the ‘Change a Life’ team and came in a credible 4th position. The field was very strong, with the course record being shattered by the first 4 athletes. The last athlete came in at 20h30 after being out there for 16h30.

That evening, everyone had a great meal catered for by Margi Frost at Balloch under the infamous overhang of a mountain cave. Then it was off to bed to get ready for what looked to be a muddy and tough ride the following day.

At 06h15 the Wartrail Warriors lined up for the 135km Mtb. There was a mist in the valley and an eerie feeling of anticipation hung around. With the riders having to be self supporting for the 1st 90km their packs were slightly larger than usual. At 6h30 the gun went off and the pack was on the way. Lundeans Nek was first of the many climbs, followed by a treacherous descent, with wheel swallowing ruts; fallen rocks the size of small vehicles; swollen river crossings and ever present goats and sheep.
John attacked the bike like there was no tomorrow and broke away with another competitor. Working together, they crossed the line in the Mdlokovane Village, side by side, tied first.

That night under the African Sky, they had an awesome meal prepared by Lizby Van Zyl. Ask anyone and they will agree it was 5 Star cuisine in the middle of nowhere.

LUCAS PADDLING COMING INTO THE FINISH….

The following day, due to the Orange River being in flood, the race organizers decided to make a safety call and allow the non experienced river proficient paddlers to start at the halfway mark cutting out the remote and tricky gorge section that started the paddle off. With the high water this section would be difficult to paddle with monster swirlys and whirlpools as well as wave trains. Due to the water levels if paddlers took a swim here they would have to know their story to get their craft to the side safely and get back in. Long swims would be the order of the day. Lucas was up to the challenge of negotiating a pumping Orange River, that boiled with whirl pools even on the flat sections. He paddled the full distance, finishing 3rd overall, ensuring that the ‘Change a Life’ team won the Team category.

My latest ‘Change a life’ recruit (7 months now), John Ntuli, a radical runner and biker, finished 2nd at the Sun coast Duathlon and 5th in last weekend’s Husquavarna MTB – which he attributes the result to the super light Shwinn hard tail he recently received from the Change a Life Academy. I told him otherwise – “John, its the engine (you) that counts, not the machine (bike)”
Inspired by the ‘Change a Life’ Dusi exploits (having seconded the boys in the Race), he wants to start paddling, however John does not live close to a dam, so for now, will continue to focus on the run and/or cycle races.

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Currently at Nagle Dam (home of CAL), there is a militant paddling program on the go – all geared around the highly explosive short, fast sprint races- which include 200m, 500m, 1000m and a 3000m. As for paddling, ‘Change a Life’ Paulos Shozi (he won All Africa Champs in Tunisia last year), claimed an incredible 2nd in the U/18 200m final at the KZN Sprint Champs 3 weeks ago. Hopefully he will hit the perfect peak come this weekend, as Nagle Dam play host to the SA School Sprint Champs, home turf to my boys. Many of the local ‘lighties’-junior age groupers will be competing – grabbing the opportunity to compete against SA’s best – making for some exciting racing – holding thumbs.
Other paddlers to look out for, are Mmeli Cele (junior Dusi leader after Day one, till he broke his canoe on Day 2) and his younger brother Mthombisi Cele and also Emmanuel Kirk, racing in the under 16 category.

For the out of School ‘Change a life’ guys, many have set their sights on the two day Swartland Canoe Marathon on the Berg river down in the Cape and also the flat water SA Marathon Champs to be held at Shongweni Dam – will be good to see how the new crew of Eric Zondi & Michael Mbanjwa fair. This long distance training will be a great base for the 50th Berg River Canoe Marathon in July, which the ‘Change a Life’ boys have personally been invited by the organizers to take part in. The Berg Canoe Marathon is regarded as the Comrades of Canoeing and is a 4 day race, averaging 60km/day. This really is one of the toughest paddling races in the world and being held in the midst of the Cape’s winter’iest weather, the usual freezing and wet conditions can make this long event a true test of survival, as competitors brave the elements. Will be quite an experience for my Zulus, coming from the temperate climate of the Banana republic.

John Ntuli – pumping the pace….

Last weekend I challenged my Zulus to take me on in HI-Tec’s National PR campaign at Cape Union Mart at the busy Gateway Shopping Centre – Durban’s North coast.
The challenge was to see how fast you can run 2km on an undulating profile, reaching a peak of 7% gradient. I ran first and set the bar at 7min 18 seconds. In between members of the public taking on the challenge, John Ntuli was my first Change a Life challenger. Having blasted off the start a bit too fast, he had to throttle back a bit too much on the steepest gradient to make it ‘over the hill’ – 7min 28sec.

Mart & John – almost pipped the old man….

Eric Zondi took note of this and paced himself beautifully against ‘my virtual person’ on the screen in front of him, but kicked a fraction too late at the end, finishing at an incredible 22km/h pace – in a time of 7min 23sec.

Eric taking no prisoners – note 3% gradient @ 16km/h

Kwanda Mhlophe was the 4th best time – 7min 31sec.

Kwanda – great attempt….

Richard was next best, followed by Mzamo.

Richard – started slow, but finished super strong….

After a mega meal at Nandos, with goodie bags in hand, we returned to the Valley of a Thousand Hills – what a lekker day out….

EASTER WEEKEND CYCLING….

30km into the 4th Day of the Joberg2C – starts tomorrow – Friday 29th April

Stayed at Dalmore Country Lodge over the Easter Weekend – had the rare pleasure of cycling on the Joberg2C course – prepped just perfect for this race which starts tomorrow.

Jeans on the edge….

This 4th stage of the race must be one of the greatest sections of Mtb’ing in SA. coming off the high plateaus of the Drakensberg with views only Eagles get to see, traversing pristine countryside and just when you think you home free – the famous Spionkop mountain must be conquered – vertical piece of earth which will bring many a cyclist to pushing his bike come race day.

Spionkop Monument & Mart – evidence I made it up….

Thomas & Nhlanhla negotiating Mission Rapid

In the valley the boys are survivors. Toughened by a lifestyle that most would find unbearable- no running water, no electricity and the bare minimum comforts. Numerous times I have been surprised at the rate at which they finish their monthly 2kg USN Muscle fuel… but I am not surprised as it is the only sweet treat they can indulge in – aptly called their ‘Wimpy milkshake’ as its so tasty.

Geoff’s Road at Sunrise….

In the week building up to this Non-Stop Dusi, there was no mention of rain on its way and with the generous water releases from the dams for the Dusi 2 weeks ago, the potential of decent water levels was not looking good. Apart from that, the valley was going to be mercilessly hot, and as dusi paddlers know, combined with high humidity, it makes the valley a dangerous place to be exercising come Midday - when this is the time when the front runners will be tackling Burma Hill with a canoe on their shoulder, pushing themselves way beyond the crazy point…. in fear that the opposition might catch up. Such is Non Stop, there is no way you can be the same person after as now “In Life, nothing will seem impossible”

Early Sneak portage….

Thursday preparation: filling 25litre water drums and an uncountable number of 2litre bottles to make up 200 litres of ice cold water and 80 litres of USN racing fuel - HP Cytopower and Epic Pro
Plus all the treats like muffins, bananas, grapes, jelly babies and salted baby potatoes and CrampBlock.

Since before Dusi, there was no doubt that 5 of my ‘Change a life’ Zulu’s would be racing Non-Stop. Eric (4th in Dusi) pairing with Michael Mbanjwa (3rd), Thomas and Nhlanhla and Kwanda and Richard. It was going to be a phenomenal show-down between these 3 crews. A last minute entry of Zonele and Sphamandla was also going to heat things up.

Thomas & Nhlanhla on Pine Tree Portage….

With the sun just waking at 5:30am, the field of 114 boats splashed across the start line. With 30km of running with a boat and 90km of paddling, this race is really for the hard-core athletes only. The cut-offs at certain places en-route are very necessary for all paddlers to be safely off the water by dark so there is pressure to keep moving steadily forward.

Kwanda & Richard – focussed….

There are no frills in this unique race: no water points or repair stations and no divers/marshals at gnarly rapids. Seconds have to sign indemnity for their paddler’s safety, so being a second in this race is a demanding day’s work- (I think it is actually easier to race!)

Lonely river….

Thomas and Nhlanhla, heads down and focused set a fast pace early on, surprising the race favourites, Eric and Michael. These top two crews cat-‘n-moused their way through ‘day 1’ and in a no-name rapid before the gruelling Cabbage Tree portage, Thomas made a careless mistake which allowed Eric’s boat to break away and then they put the hammer down. From here it was each ‘Change a life’ boat to focus on their own race and face the extreme challenges the day had on offer. Kwanda and Richard, both as consistent as ever in third spot, quietly got on with the days adventure, despite battling most of the morning with a malfunctioning rudder. Then halfway they skillfully ducked through a narrow pipe under a road on the approaches to Inanda Dam and closed considerably on Thomas & Nhlanhla who opted to portage. Behind them Zonele was nursing Sphamandla through his first non-stop dusi, having had a fast start, and having to deal with the consequences. As the day progressed, Zonele had to surrender to a slow walking pace on the portages, (even having a recovered Spha to portage the boat on his own at times) because of an excruciating painful knee.

Sphamanhla – tough as nails – new recruit to Change aLife….

By Inanda dam wall, it was a 12minute gap separating first and second place. .However at the top of Burma, Thomas and Nhlanhla had knocked 4 minutes into the leaders and another 30 seconds by Pump house weir.

Full speed down – leaving a trail of fibre glass on the tar….

The last hour became a real grovel with the extremely low water levels as the crews passed the released water and having to clamber in and out their boats about 10 times having to negotiate a dry river bed, scrambling over rocks on weary legs. It was a huge relief  for Eric and Michael to break the finish tape in 8h52min (over an hour slower than the existing record – which just shows how testing the conditions were). An exhausted Thomas and Nhlanhla were as relieved and happy to claim 2nd place, as were Kwanda and Richard in 3rd. Zonele and Spha pushed through their pain barriers, redefining their discomfort limits, crossing the line, broken but happy.

Eric & Bungi winning….the best feeling

Nhlanhla & Thomas all smiles….

Kwanda & Rich – Thumbs up…. a well deserved third place

Zonele, Jeans (their chief second) & Spha,  thankful to be at the finish….

By 6:15pm my Valley boys (or Mighty Warriors), were showered and feasting on chicken and bread, relieved to have their feet up. By this time only 40 of 114 boats had completed this monstrous race. No matter where you finish in the Non-Stop Dusi, you are a Mighty Warrior even more so those that spend over 15 hours negotiating the Valley of a Thousand Hills with a boat. Having raced this journey 8 times, I can honestly say, this Non Stop was the toughest to date.

I salute you all….

Unlimited Non Stop Podium – ‘Change a Life’ 

Thank you to Paddy for using his own vehicle and seconding Kwanda & Richard the entire way. The same goes to Jeans seconding Zonele & Spha from start to finish.

Promised my ’Change a Life’ Zulus that when you finish, you go to Non Stop Heaven, pampered by Angels….

7 ‘Change a Life’ Zulus will line up on the start line of the Unlimited Non Stop Dusi at 5h30am tomorrow, at Campdrift. The scene is set for the toughest Non Stop todate as the water release is pitiful, due to almost zero rain since the Dams were emptied for the Unlimited Dusi a few weeks ago.

With the low water and hot conditions expected tomorrow, the win is not necessarily going to go to the fastest Canoe, but instead to the toughest and most skillful. Seconding teams will play a massive role in the success of their paddlers – with continuous refueling along the way, iced water on the head on those steep hills and quick handy with Duct tape for those unwanted leaking dings in the Canoes.

‘Change a Life’ winners of the 2010 Non Stop Dusi

There is no room for error on Non Stop as you race all three days in one – no repair station at the overnight stop of Day 1 of Dusi. In fact you don’t even pass by that point as you take out at the ‘Yellow Rock’ (Number 8 as refered to by the locals) portage 10 min earlier.

Thanks to Sivi Gounden – ‘Best 4 you’,  for 3 top of the range double canoes.

In my books, the favourites on the line are the untested combination of Michael Mbanjwa & ‘Change a life’ Eric Zondi. The other ‘Change a Life’ crews are the defending champion Thomas Ngidi, partnering Nhlanhla Cele. Kwanda Mhlophe and Richard Cele will be giving their best shot to better their 3rd place from last year. Then new comer Spamandla Sibisi will paddle with the experienced Zonele Nzuza.

All I can say – “Its gonna be a phenomenal showdown of human endevour, more against the harsh elements than ones fellow competitors

RACING ACE ERIC ZONDI  – FOCUSING….,  SECONDS BEFORE BLASTING INTO ACTION.

What a dramatic Dusi with the closest finish ever in the history of the race – Youngster Andrew Birkett beating Ant Stott by a mere second in the final end sprint for the finish line.
Equally dramatic – ‘Change a Life’ Eric Zondi finishing 4th , ahead of previous K1 Dusi champions and paddling legends, Hank McGregor (5th) and Len Jenkins (6th). The self confidence boost this gives Eric will be that he no longer “needs to reach for the stars” but instead will believe he can set his sights on “touching them”.

Am I happy with my Change a Life Zulu’s performance? Definitely Yes.

Am I disappointed with my Change a Life Zulu’s final results? Yes, but no more than my boys – only because I know what could have been, especially after they set themselves up so spectacularly on Day 1 – 4 in the top 10, 8 in the top 14, 10 in the top 18. As the late Dusi legend Graeme Pope-Ellis used to say “The Dusi is won on Day 1, but lost on Day 2 & 3”. Meaning, to have any chance of obtaining a great result, you have to be in contention on Day 1 and then hold it together for the following two days.
A great result was poised on a knife edge, but as in life, things don’t always go your way.

MART & JUNIOR MMELI CELE

I feel sick in the pit of my stomach when I think of my Junior paddler Mmeli Cele’s misfortune in the race – let me explain. He lives in the smallest mud house with no running water or electricity and yet under these circumstances raced himself into 16th position overall and first junior (5 min lead) on Day 1. Day 2 saw his race slip away forever as he took an unfortunate swim and broke his boat, unable to continue. The R9000 possible first Junior prize was not to be. Imagine the value it would have added to his family’s lives. Asked by a kind spectator who gave him a lift out the Valley, what he would he would have taken from the prize money. He answered “buy myself a pair of jeans”.

SOME OF TEAM CHANGE A LIFE AFTER DAY 1 – Nkosi is on my left

Now his brother Nkosi Cele had a phenomenal Day 1, finishing 12th overall. Come Day 2 – negotiating the notorious Tombi rapid, he had no choice but to plough into another paddler and his boat that were being recycled at the bottom of the drop in the suck-back of the stopper wave. The consequences were distrastrous, boat broken, he limped home to place 73rd overall. With the misfortune that befell his brother and also knowing that he was unlikely to place in the top 50, he was emotional, tears rolled down his cheeks as he explained the day’s happenings. “Nkosi” I said, “ Graeme Pope-Ellis died last year, he would have loved to be racing this race. You only took a swim and broke your boat, so what! You can still race. Things could be alot worse. Forget about what happened and do your best tomorrow. I’ll tell you what – I will ignore today (Day 2) and see where you come tomorrow (Day 3). Then I will take your average position for the two days”. Cut a long story short, he had the 8th fastest time on Day 3. So in my books he came an incredible 10th overall.

BORN TO RUN…. THE GUYS LOVE THE PORTAGES

Here’s the blow by blow story what unfolded with the other ‘Change a Life’ Zulus. At the blast of the start Canon…. 9 of the ‘Change a Life’ athletes lined up on front row in A-Batch, 2 in the second row and 1 in the third row….

FINDING YOUR BOAT IN THE “PICK UP STICKS”….

ERIC ZONDI…. RACING SNAKE OF NOTE….

ERIC NEGOTIATING TOPS NEEDLE RAPID….

4th – Eric raced flawlessly, guiding his boat nimbly through the technical rapids and running swiftly on the portages to finish an incredible 3rd overall, 35 seconds ahead of Day 1 favourite and training partner, Michael Mbanjwa (Bungi). Although Bungi passed him on Day 2, I was amazed how he handled the big water, especially with the added pressure of paddling legends Hank McGregor & Len Jenkins hunting him down. Len had the second fastest time on Day 2. Day 3 saw Eric come into his own, focussed and determined to not make any mistakes, he didn’t allow Hank to gain any time on him. Capitalising on a blistering run over Burma Hill, he secured his most deserving 4th position overall, showing he can compete with the best. A most deserving result for all the hard work he put in – Congrats Eric.

KWANDA STARTING THE FINGERNECK PORTAGE….

KWANDA IN THE BIG WATER….

11th – Kwanda raced smoothly through Day 1 and Day 2, finishing 11th on both occasions. With a strong run over Burma he punched into the top 9 , but the conservative option of portaging the feared Pumphouse weirs saw him slip back to 11th.
 

THOMAS – ALL FOCUS IN TOPS NEEDLE RAPID….

12th – Thomas had drama at the bottom of Earnie Pearce Weir, only a few minutes into the race – dropping to 40th position. He put in a Herculean effort, to make a miraculous recovery in the second half of the race and finished 7th overall. Thomas had a dismal Day 2 (placing 26th for the day, time wise and dropping him to 12th overall), taking 3 swims in the swollen River, of which he said, “two of my swims were so silly, the rapid was small, doesn’t even have a name”. Thomas took the day’s blows on the chin and crossed the line with his usual radiant smile. Asking him how his day was? He answered, “Mart, today ‘Change a Life’ had a rough day”. I couldn’t agree with him more. Day 3 too saw Thomas push into the top 10 after a powerful Burma Hill portage, similarly to Kwanda, he portaged Pumphouse weirs and dropped back to 12th.
 

NHLANHLA CAUTIOUSLY APPROACHING GAUGING WEIR….

JOHN STEERING THROUGH THE APPROACHES TO UMZINYATHI RAPID….

 NHLANHLA & JOHN SHOWING OFF THEIR HARD EARNED FINISHERS MEDALS….

13th – Nhlanhla, 15th – John, 17th – Zonele  &  18th  -  Richard, had credible results. Nhlanhla and John  finished 9th & 10th respectively on Day 1, with Zonele 12th. I was disappointed with Richard, as he finished 13th overall in the 2009 Dusi, and was in great shape, and came 17th on Day 1, which I suppose isn’t a bad result considering he had tree swims – starting at Earnie Pearce weir, then Taxi rapid(where someone clipped his rudder).

RICHARD GUNNING IT ON THE PORTAGE….

RICHARD TAKING A SNEAKY LINE….

For these four paddlers, Day 2’s flooding river was their nemesis. Not ever having had the opportunity to practice on such a full river, the gnarly turbulent water got the better of them and their nerves after a couple of swims. With their confidence in tatters, they went into survival mode to get to the end. In their defence, the dams have not flowed since the last Dusi (and that was a normal level) and so all tripping has been on a marginal river level – water coming from runoff from the mountains streams.

ZONELE CALMLY TACKLING UMZINYATHI….

To cover the loop hole of inadequate big white-water experience, next years preparation will need to include paddling on the mighty Umkomaas river.

LUCAS DIGGING DEEP ON CAMPBELLS PORTAGE….

22nd – Lucas  toiled on Day 1, but nonetheless finished 13th. He complained that someone had pulled the energy plug out his body, as he felt flat.- similarly to Bungi. A couple of swims on Day 2 didn’t make things any easier, and he slid down to 21st. It was unlike Lucas not to look forward to Burma Hill on Day 3, as running was one of his strengths. Once again, he said “No energy”, and bravely hung onto 22nd position overall. I know Lucas was not himself as he was fitter than the last singles Dusi, where he placed 10th overall – maybe Bilharzia, will get him tested?

NOTHING LIKE A DUSI BABE TO WASH AWAY THE HARDSHIP OF THE DAY….

24th – Skhumbuso  has improved immensely since the last singles Dusi in 2009, where he placed 72nd overall. In that year he didn’t make it into my selected ‘Change a Life’ Team. Not fond of portaging with a boat, I was impressed with his 26th Day 1 finish. Day 2 saw him swim only once, to finish 28th. Then a digging deep into his reserves, saw him “pull the rabbit out the hat” on Burma Hill and he finished a fantastic 24th overall.
42nd – Mzamo  is one of the youngsters of the race and did his level best to maintain a top 50 position. Well done.

COMPUTERSHARE LADIES MNANDI & URSULA, ERIC & MART

Its important for my ‘Change a Life’ Academy that the sponsors see/feel/believe in it. Its one thing sending them a written report of what happened, but actually having them at the finish line was just the best - seeing Ursula & Mnandi (having just flown down from Jhb), waving excitedly and shouting encouragement to my exhausted Zulus as they crossed the finish line, having given their all – made me very happy.
And so too did the boys felt so special that they had come all the way from Johannesburg that Day just to see them.

‘CHANGE A LIFE’  TEAM WITH SPONSORS AND SUPPORT CREW

So with two of my top 20 boys breaking their canoes on a very full Day 2 (Mmeli out the race and the Nkosi dropping to 74th overall) my final tally was   9 ‘Change a Life’ paddlers in the top 24,   including a highly commendable 4th place overall.

Could well have been 11 in the top 24, but that’s Dusi…., no comments in the results sheet.

Thanks must go to Computershare, USN, Hi-Tec for their renewed commitment/support of my ‘Change a Life’ Academy going into 2011, and to Sivi Gounden -”Best 4 you” for sponsoring 20 awesome canoes for Dusi. Then also to my support Team on the ground at Dusi – Paddy, Tex, Anita & Craig, Iain, my ‘Change a Life’ boys – John Ntuli and Sizwe and last but not least – Jeans.

 SOME OF THE 50 MOMS,DADS, BROTHERS & SISTERS THAT ARRIVED AT THE END TO WATCH THEIR LOVED ONES FINISH

WHEEL BEARING SHOT….

It wasn’t plain sailing post race to get home as the wheel bearing broke on the boat trailer. So whilst waiting for another trailer (3hrs later), I took the guys to KFC for a much needed overload of Calories.

I need to shoulder some responsibility of not being there on Day 2 for my ‘Change a Life’ Team, to have given them valuable instructions/information on the Ngumeni portage – what to do at Tombi & Hippo rapid etc….. Instead I had to fly to Jhb after the Day 1 finish, to attend the Virgin Active Sports Industry Awards – http://www.sportindustry.co.za/awards/winners/?Id=32#

I was nominated for one of four programs under the “Best Grassroots development Programme”. It was a fancy Black tie occasion at Emperors Palace. My sponsors thought it best that I attend this occasion, as the exposure here could have real positive spin-offs for my Academy and it was important to be present in case ‘Change a Life’ won.  Missing Day 2  – thanks must go to Paddy, Iain and Anita for shouldering the seconding responsibilities here and to Tex for taking my photo/journalist, Jacques Marais on a 4×4 route off the beaten track, to capture that perfect shot.
It was a monumentous occasion, with the Who’s who present – from Danny Jordaan, Ali Bacher, Lucas Radebe, Natalie Du Toit, Elana Meyer, Surfer/model Roxy Louw, Brian Mitchell, Ryk Neethling, Roeland Schoeman, Blade Runner – Oscar Pistorius, to some protea cricket players like Jacques Rudolph and Albie Morkel and some springbuck Rugby players including Naas Botha, Victor Matfield and Schalk Burger. Also World Tennis Champion – Mary Pearce, Boxing World Champion – Ricky Hatton, World 100m Champion – Linford Christie and even SA’s tennis star from the past Kevin Curren and so the who’s who list goes on….
It was a super occasion and great to see Hi-Tec winning the best use of Digital Communications in Sport with their ‘Liquid Mountaineering’, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKqqMeJzXpo

However in hindsight, would I have attended these awards in Lieu of my ‘Change a Life’ Zulus racing Dusi – I think not….

RACING SNAKE ERIC ZONDI DOING LAST MINUTE CHECKS….

Having been involved for two Dusi’s with my “Change a Life” Team, you would think by now, all would be running smoothly like a ‘well oiled machine’.
I honestly have to say, it’s just the opposite. Yes – the Team has a higher fitness level, Yes – we are more prepared with river knowledge, Yes – the boys have fancy Kevlar Kayaks. But where it has gone voluntarily pear shaped is the allowance/inclusion of attention to detail – providing custom drinking systems to individual athletes, grooming of paths, supporter T-shirts, special food, detailed route analysis etc…. In my opinion, all a necessity to obtain the best result – so no complaints from my side….

Boat Handover- From Left [Ken Holden, Zonele, Richard, Mmeli, Eric,Lucas, Mart, Sivi, Nkosi, Kwanda &  Nhlanhla

“Best 4 you” Sivi Gounden came down to Nagle Dam the other day to do an official handover of the fancy smancy kevlar kayaks/paddles he sponsored my ‘Change a Life’ team. Interesting story – Sivi competed his first Dusi in 1985 alongside the late Robert Lembethe (the pioneer of Development Canoeing), and if he completes this 2011 Dusi (which he should as he is paddling with the super experienced Kayak Centre boat manufacturer – Ken Holden), that will put him at the top of the list as a Development person with the most Dusi titles to his name. Thanks a mil Sivi.

KWANDA – SHARPENING THE CUTTING KNIVES….

Grooming running paths in the days leading up to Dusi is a must if you are fleet of foot. Logic behind this – the top athletes who are weaker runners don’t mind the paths being overgrown and ‘slow’, as it hinders the faster runners making up time here. Needless to say, we did a lot of thornbush pruning and where there required some real hard manuel labour, many volunteed, but it was best that I do the deed – Dusi is too close for such exertion. We had a good laugh when one of the guys chirped – “Come Mart, dig harder…. this is the new South Africa”. It was priceless – group of Black guys watching a whitey doing manual labour.

WHAT A PLEASURE TO BURN SOME CALORIES….

Twenty one Zulus are booked into Umphiti Backpackers tonight, close to the Dusi start. The menu for tonight’s meal has been entrusted to Kwanda Mhlophe – hopefully he doesn’t forget the magic ingredients – as long as there is lots, it will be a guaranteed success….

LUCAS AT HOME, WITH HIS SISTER & MOTHER IN THE BACKGROUND….

Yesterday, ATV productions visited some of the boys at their homes to get some pre Dusi hype – Lucas said “Watchout for Eric Zondi, Thomas Ngidi and Zonele Nzuza, but don’t forget Kwanda Mhlophe, brothers Richard & Nhlanhla Cele, John Ngcobo and junior Mmeli Cele, Oh…. and myself”.
These Change a Lifers that Lucas has mentioned will all be lining up on the front row of A-Batch tomorrow morning. At the 6am start, when Ian Player imitates the call of the Fish Eagle, their heart rate will jump 20 beats, and seconds later upon the blast of the traditional start Cannon, they will hold nothing back, giving absolute everything their lean wiry muscled body’s can offer. Tackling the steep gruelling Cabbage Tree portage at the end of Day 1, they will dig even deeper into their inner reserves, begging their burning legs not to fail them now as muscles twitch with signs of cramp…. Whatever adversity is dealt to the paddlers tomorrow and hopefully there is (eg- heat wave….), the ‘Change a Life’ Zulus will embrace it – because they know that if they deal with it better than their oponents, they will be ‘ahead of the Curve‘.

Let the battle begin….

Last but not least – Huge thanks to Computershare “Change a Life”, USN and Hi-Tec, for their committed ongoing support of the  Martin Dreyer “Change a Life”Academy. Without your input, none of this would be possible – THANK YOU!

THUMBS UP….  OVERALL WINNER – THOMAS NGIDI

Dusi fever reached a peak in yesterdays Campbells to Dusi Bridge Canoe Race. For “Change a Life’s” Thomas Ngidi to stand at the top of the podium will be looked at in years to come as an incredible victory especially as 4 of the 5 race favourites/top dogs (Hank, Ant, Birkett and Bungi) were in the mix – the most competitive field to date for the 2011 Dusi. 

LEADING THE PACK – COMING OUT OF DEVIL’S CAULDRON IN THE VALLEY BELOW….

Riding on my Mtb, I scurried along the river paths and roads, keeping a close eye on my top racing Zulus. Thomas made no secret of what his intentions were, as he powered out of the leg burning Devil’s Cauldron on the Guinea Fowl portage, already in first place. Birkett, Hank and Bungi were well back in the field in cruise mode, choosing rather to fly under the radar with only a few weeks to go to the big race.

MMELI – CHASING HARD….

Next over the rise was Lance Kime, followed by Ant Stott and ‘Change a Life’ junior Mmeli Cele. As Lucas came past, he very emphatically said “I’m finished” to the seconds waiting for their paddlers and then smiled at me. I ran next to him and said “Stop pretending, I know you better, you playing just like Bungi….
Riding along the Dusi, after the Guinea Fowl put-in, I came across Lance Kime still running with his boat. Querying this oddity, he answered that he has holed his boat and is running to find someone with Duct tape. Having nothing with me, I could only offer him a positive word of encouragement – “lucky this isn’t the Dusi” – meaning rather now than in the big race.

LANCE – NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP ON RUNNING….

John Ngcobo was going steady – top 15, until he took a bad line down a no-name rapid and got stuck, watching in disappoint as a number of boats scuttled past.
Zonele was tired from his paddle/run race the previous day in Jhb. Eric too drove up with Bungi to take part in this inaugural event. Eric placed 4th and Zonele 6th. Due to a cultural ceremony, Eric couldn’t do this race.
Richard just hasn’t had any luck with good seeding, not even his top ten Midmar Mini had effect…. Nonetheless, along with his brother Nhlanhla, they raced up a storm. Starting in B- batch, they placed 8th and 9th overall.

Although there was a water release from Henley dam, it wasn’t much, which made it a technical race – meaning there was little room for navigation error, as many rocks were lying in ambush just beneath the surface.

KWANDA LEADING LUCAS THROUGH A TECHNICAL RAPID….

Ant was first onto the Cabbage Tree portage, with almost a minute lead. Thomas powered up the steep incline as if it was horizontal. How he generates such power from his toothpick legs never ceases to amaze me. Upon cresting the summit, he was alongside Ant. Now there was no holding back, it was all or nothing.

THOMAS GIVING IT HIS ALL….

When he put back in the river, he had a 35 sec lead. Would it be enough to hold off one of SA’s top Maestro river paddlers.

THOMAS WITH 10 MIN TO GO….

Ant caught Thomas as he was nearing the finish line and graciously let him take line honours – for putting up such a superb performance – one deserving of victory.
‘Change a Life” junior Mmeli was holding onto 3rd, with 4 min to go, until the hard chasing Piers Cruikshanks passed him. “I’m Finished” Lucas made up positions quite nicely in the latter half of the race to close up the top 5 positions.

Well done KK – (as his close friends affectionately call him) I know your Dad  [passed away - 21/01/2011]  would have been so proud of you….

CHAMPION THOMAS with SECONDER MART….

FOLLOW MY LEADER….

The ‘Change a Life’ boys not being familiar with the path of least resistance down the Umzimkulu River, nerves were on edge. Especially so, when a sms was sent out two days prior to race start, “River High, don’t forget to bring helmets”.
The Drak Challenge is a two day race near the little town of Underberg, up in the Drakensberg. I say up because interestingly, it takes place at an altitude higher than Jhb. And with Dusi fever in the air, a record 1000 paddlers were about to pit their skills upon this technically challenging river.

WHICH WAY? - MY 2000 Dusi Champ partner - Mark perrow- 1 min after starting…. 

I was excited that Thomas Ngidi (one of the ‘Change a Life’ heroes) would be racing as he has been absent from the Valley due to taking up a work opportunity in Jhb. Unfortunately, his Father passed away the day before the race and so he could not come. This will be a very sad Dusi indeed, with Richard & Nhlanhla’s Dad also recently passing away, not to mention Margi Oliver (who became an institution of SA Canoeing, faithfully doing the time-keeping alongside her husband John Oliver). I cannot remember a race in Kzn, that Margi wasn’t waiting at the finish. I used to climb out my boat, knackered, wander over to Margs to see my time, but in reality it was to eat a delicious treat of sort, which was always on offer from her secret stash. Then also the passing of the Legendary “Pope”, no Dusi will ever be the same.

KEEPING UPRIGHT WAS THE ORDER OF THE DAY….

My Zulus spirits were high on the start line albeit a damp camping experience the previous night. A highly competitive men’s A-batch, including Hank McGregor, Len Jenkins and Ant Stott waited anxiously for the start gun. It was a hussle & bussle affair with canoeists running to their canoes. The carnage on the first 90 degree left bend was entertaining for the crowd on the bank and a good lesson for later starters, on what not to do.
The K3 with a mounted camera on the back deck, captained by Stu Rawlinson, took the cake as it bombarded its way up the right bank, spinning upstream, capsizing its occupants in the process. Fortunately no damage was done, except of course their egos.

K3 HIGH & DRY….

‘Change a Life’ paddling sensation Zonele Nzuza, finished 8th after Day 1, negotiating the top technical white-water section like a pro. The finest result of the day came from junior Mmeli Cele, who finished an incredible 16th overall, ahead of all his senior ‘Change a Life’ compatriots. Chasing him down were the foursome of Kwanda, Nksoi (Mmeli’s brother), John and Lucas – over two minutes adrift. A frustrated Eric Zondi came across the line a minute later. Having no swims, he struggled with a leaking splash cover, having to stop and empty a few times. His pumps couldn’t keep up with the water coming in – this makes the boat harder to paddle and the steering ‘lethargic’, causing huge extra effort with the negative of a drop in boat speed.

COMMON SIGHT ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RIVER….

Explaining to him afterwards – “this race is just training. It’s good that this happens to you here, rather than Dusi….” Helped take pressure off him that he was expected to get a result.
But its true, this race is merely a stepping stone in their build-up for Dusi. This past week’s training has been gruelling and there was no rest the day before this race. This race was the perfect playground for testing the new different models of Canoes on fast moving water….
Following Lucas closely, Nhlanhla’s race ended abruptly, when he wrapped his canoe negotiating the infamous boat breaker – Black Murray Rapid. From there he had a steep climb out the Valley, up to the road.

MAGICAL SCENERY….

Regarded as the “most fun you can have Canoeing”, the Drak as it is fondly called, is cradled within the most spectacular landscape imaginable. Massive mountains with naturedly pastured green slopes, make the first 40min paddling, a heart thumping experience – as there is no easy escape route if you happen to break your canoe.

THREE PADDLERS, THREE ROUTES - TRYING TO NEGOTIATE PINES NASTY RAPID….

Eric showed fine form and skill, when he recorded the 6th fastest time on Day 2, making up for his slack Day 1 race prep. Zonele came unstuck, when he took two swims in the Gorge section, dropping down the ranks to 14th. Kwanda and John, kept it steady, finishing 21st and 22nd respectively.
Mmeli too struggled with the Gorge section (where Ant Stott took a swim), resulting in him dropping back, but just managing to finish one position ahead of his chasing brother Nkosi. Right behind him were Mzamo and Lucas.
The rain poured down as we tied our canoes on the trailer. A lot was learned this weekend, from basic race prep to boat handling skills on a technical river. To conclude, 8 ‘Change a Life’ paddlers came in the top 30 overall – I’m happy with that.

Now with the lovely rain currently falling in the Valley of a thousand Hills, its back to business – we tripping the Dusi at sparrows tomorrow morning….

Pos.  Name.  Surname.  Day 1.   Day 2.          Overall
1 HANK MCGREGOR 01:25:49.76 02:19:11.30 03:45:01.06
2 LEN JENKINS JNR 01:25:52.52 02:19:10.76 03:45:03.29
3 ANT STOTT 01:25:51.26 02:21:51.74 03:47:43.00
4 JACQUES THERON 01:29:14.07 02:22:18.61 03:51:32.69
5 BRANDON VAN DER WALT 01:29:42.81 02:22:51.92 03:52:34.73
6 PIERS CRUICKSHANKS 01:29:43.78 02:24:52.38 03:54:36.16
7 LANCE KIME 01:29:13.09 02:26:46.29 03:55:59.39
8 MARK MULDER 01:31:53.74 02:26:35.96 03:58:29.70
9 WAYNE WILSON 01:31:48.61 02:26:51.47 03:58:40.08
10 SHAUN GRIFFIN 01:31:47.11 02:27:42.33 03:59:29.44
11 MURRAY BURGESS 01:32:54.26 02:26:54.42 03:59:48.69
12 BEN BIGGS 01:32:55.91 02:27:47.45 04:00:43.36
13 SEAN MCGUIGAN 01:30:56.14 02:29:53.83 04:00:49.97
14 ZONELE NZUZA 01:30:54.47 02:30:10.13 04:01:04.61
15 LOVEDAY ZONDI 01:33:17.81 02:27:48.91 04:01:06.72
16 SIBONELO ZONDI 01:36:45.55 02:24:26.33 04:01:11.88
17 DONAVAN WEWEGE 01:31:30.67 02:31:29.56 04:03:00.23
18 MARC GERMIQUET 01:33:20.55 02:29:59.17 04:03:19.72
19 ANDREW BIRKETT 01:33:25.58 02:30:11.75 04:03:37.33
20 KWANDA MHLOPHE 01:35:38.63 02:29:12.46 04:04:51.09
21 JOHN THEMBA NGCOBO 01:35:46.01 02:29:26.33 04:05:12.35
22 MARK USSHER 01:35:44.56 02:30:07.64 04:05:52.21
23 EMILE THEUNISSEN 01:35:37.53 02:30:18.60 04:05:56.14
24 BLAINE BERESFORD 01:36:46.45 02:29:29.53 04:06:15.99
25 DAVID CHAPLIN 01:36:14.42 02:30:33.57 04:06:47.99
26 MMELI CELE 01:33:18.95 02:33:44.24 04:07:03.19
27 NKOSIKAYISE CELE (SHANGASE) 01:35:42.69 02:31:27.25 04:07:09.95
28 MZAMO ZONDI 01:36:16.12 02:31:35.31 04:07:51.44
29 LUCAS MTHALANE 01:35:53.41 02:31:59.93 04:07:53.34

Mmeli Cele, Richard Cele, Eric Zondi, Martin Dreyer, Lucas Mthalane and Kwanda Mhlophe

Admittedly, some of the big contenders for Dusi were absent, but the Hi-Q Midmar Mini is one of the favourite and most well attended of the pre-Dusi Races. Only 23km of racing, but it’s fast, flat-water paddling and hilly portaging, make it the perfect appetizer to gauge where your Dusi training stands.

GO! – Mad sprint for your Canoe….

Different to other races, the start is quite something to witness. Paddlers line up 50m behind their boats and when that start gun fires it’s a chaotic sprint to get into boats and leave the shore. I had to laugh but at the same time felt really sorry for Nhlanhla, one of my top ten potentials, when he mistakenly got into the wrong boat. Just when he was about to blast offshore, the lagging owner shouted and tipped him out. Very apologetically he corrected his mistake and headed off far behind everyone.

I too paddled, watching the race unfold from the water and keen to see what the ‘Change a life’ paddlers were going to ‘pull out the hat’ in a race well suited to their phenomenal boat-running abilities. The 10 fancy Kevlar Dusi canoes, sponsored by Best 4 Range – Sivi Gounden, have not been allocated to individuals yet, so it was important for me to get up close and see which of my boys were performing and too to see those that were not and why not?

KWANDA, LUCAS & NKOSI WORKING NICELT TOGETHER IN THE SECOND GROUP…. 

A blistering pace was set on the first 6½km paddle with paddlers jostling for front positions. Eric Zondi joined ‘Change a life’s’ new paddling sensation, Zonele Nzuza and 2008 Dusi winner, Michael Mbanjwa on the front bunch along with two others. Kwanda, Lucas and Nkosi were working nicely in the 2nd big bunch that formed. Following them closely was Richard, Mmeli and John, mixing it up with some other competitors.

The first 3km portage was no easy feat as the paddlers exited the water at the base of a substantial hill and were instantly hit with a fierce headwind (that makes holding a boat on your shoulder almost impossible). Along with the increasing temperature, there was no where to hide from these challenging factors – which kept the racing honest.

I was excited to see Eric, Zonele and Bungi had broken away as they settled into a good consistent pace once on the water again.

RICHARD  POWERING ON THE PORTAGE….

Richard had an incredible portage and put in with Lucas, along with the first white paddler, Trevor Hellens – to make up the second bunch.

The next group to paddle off was Kwanda, Mmeli, Loveday Zondi and John Ngcobo. Nkosi, visiting from his coaching post in Bethlehem, trailed a 100m behind, taking strain from lack of conditioning with Dusi paddle/run sessions. Nonetheless he hung in there till the finish.

KWANDA FEELING THE EFFECTS OF A HARD WEEKS TRAINING….

The ‘Change a Life’ Academy has had an astounding snowball effect, whereby the athletes are learning to strive for their goals from within, and not have to be continually chased. Having said that, there is always the exception – Skhumbuso is on the fringes for making the ‘Change a Life’ Team, but with a no-show today, his chances are rapidly diminishing. There could be a valid reason – I will find out.
The spectators waiting on the banks of Midmar dam in anticipation to see their husbands, brothers, mothers or daughters to come in were well impressed by the number of top positions being taken up by black paddlers.

Seven ‘Change a life’ paddlers came in the top ten overall, out of 378 paddlers - I could not have asked for more…. Well done boys!

‘CHANGE A LIFE’ AT MIDMAR….